ACROSS SPAS LARGE AND SMALL, mentorship is an effective tool for strengthening teams, nurturing leadership and retaining exceptional talent. While every program looks different, ISPA member spas share a common thread: a belief that growth is both personal and cultural— and that mentorship creates the conditions for both.

CULTURE FIRST, STRUCTURE SECOND For some spas, mentorship evolved naturally before it was ever formalized.

At Grey Oaks Country Club Spa, Loretta Ortiz says the program“ started naturally over the past few years. I wanted to create space for therapists to learn from each other, especially during slower months when we have time to grow together.”

What began as informal coaching has grown into organized in-service trainings and focused onboarding. Ortiz sees it as“ a continuation of our onboarding process and ties into our unofficial continuing education,” explaining that she collaborates with other campus professionals— from the physical therapist to the golf pro— so learning“ stays active and relevant to the real needs of our members.”

“ Mentorship and leadership are a natural progression. You don’ t always plan it— it grows out of caring deeply about your team.”

— LORETTA ORTIZ, lead massage therapist, Grey Oaks Country Club Spa

BUDDY SYSTEMS THAT BUILD BELONGING At Porto Vita POA Inc., Mitchell Berkman worked with HR to create a structured approach that extends beyond the spa. Their“ Buddy System” introduces every new hire to an experienced colleague on day one.“ This year we realized that to maintain consistency as our long-time workforce began aging and retiring, we needed a system of transferring knowledge and skills from one generation of employees to the next,” Porto Vita’ s HR representative Tania Egan shares.

Each new employee is paired with a mentor chosen to complement their strengths and address potential gaps.“ It starts with a checklist where the Buddy introduces the new staff to all managers, then department staff, and finally to key community members,” the Porto Vita team explains. HR tracks progress and rewards excellence with“ Bonus Bucks.”

The results are clear:“ New-hires comment on how they have never been received, welcomed or trained in such an enjoyable way before.”

“ Create a progressive program: Connect before their first day, follow up after the first week and keep the conversation going.”

— MITCHELL BERKMAN, spa director, Porto Vita POA Inc.

FORMAL PROGRAMS WITH LEADERSHIP BENCH STRENGTH Some organizations, particularly within resort networks, are taking mentorship to an enterprise level. Taylor Fields shared an overview of PCH Hotels and Resorts’ s companywide“ Level Up” mentorship program, describing it as“ a disciplined, formal approach to mentoring partnerships” designed to build leadership bench strength.

Potential mentors are vetted using the company’ s competency model, and pairs complete a one-year agreement after taking online courses and self-assessments in Clifton Strengths, DISC and Emotional Intelligence.“ Support from the top is critical. Our company president has even participated in the program.”

For both mentors and protégés, the benefits are substantial:“ The partnership provides the protégé with a more experienced or knowledgeable person to give feedback and advice for their continued career and professional development,” the PCH team notes. The organization gains“ a talent pool of Level Four Leadership to grow the organization” and sustain its“ OnePCH culture.”

“ Mentoring helps to sustain a learning organization.”— PCH Hotels & Resorts“ Level Up” program

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